Everything You Need to Know About Invoice Email Templates

What is an invoice email? 

An invoice email is an email sent to clients with the invoice document and other necessary information. The email also includes other notes to let your client know about the actions you have taken on the delivery of goods or services and the invoice.

Many businesses have problems collecting payments from their clients, resulting in delayed cash inflow and bad debt. According to a study by PYMNTS, 60% of businesses suffer from delayed payment issues. To minimize the same, sending customers the correct invoice email is crucial. But how do you write an invoice email, and what should you include in it? Let’s find out!

What are the elements to include in your invoice email?

So far, we know why sending an invoice email is essential. But do you know what elements you should include in your email so that your client can release the payment without any hassle?

1. Write a clear subject line

Your client may receive hundreds of emails in a day. So, to make your invoice email get their attention, you need to mention all the important details in the email’s subject line. Mention the invoice number and the due date in the subject line so that your client can classify the email as high priority or urgent.

2. Include the invoice as an attachment

Attaching the invoice document along with the email is the most important point which should never be missed while sending an invoice email. Instead of pasting the invoice image in the body of the email, attach the same as a PDF document to enable your client to download or print it without any hassle.

3. Mention the invoice number and the due date

Include the invoice number and the due date in the email body as well as in the attached invoice to help your client gather all the required details in one go. 

4. Mention the payment methods available

Let your client know which payment methods are available to them to clear their invoice. You can also mention if you have any preferred channels to receive the payments and if any discounts are offered when using certain channels.

Invoice Email Template with Subject Line

How to Follow Up on Your Invoice Email?

We understand the anxiety you must go through when you do not get paid on time. Thus, following up on your invoice email is important. 

• If the client delays making the payment, you must follow up with them soon after the due date has passed.
• Double check the receiver’s email address and the information in the email body and attachment before sending it out to ensure accuracy.
• In case of any delay in receiving payments, send a formal letter on the same email thread requesting to know the reason for the delay. Be prepared to take further actions including freezing the client’s credit limit if the payment is deliberately being delayed. 
• You can also charge a late payment interest fee if the invoice is not cleared for an extended period. Consider legal proceedings as the last resort to fix the situation because it can be long-drawn and may hamper your relationships with clients. 

Below, we’ve provided you the template for a past-due invoice email. You can use this template to escalate the issue of non-payment after the invoice due date.

How can automation help your invoice emailing process?

According to a study by Atradius, 39% of the invoices are paid late in the United States. This is a big problem, especially for medium-sized companies that suffer a loss of almost $31,000 a year due to late or no invoice payment.

Automation helps to keep track of your invoice due dates and sends reminders to customers to encourage timely payments. Accounts receivable automation solutions prevent unpaid invoices from falling through the cracks even when your team has to juggle multiple tasks.

Following are the benefits of enabling invoice process automation or automatic invoice processing over manual invoice processing:

• When your invoices are auto-verified and auto-paid, you no longer have to face delays due to manual entry and processing at your client’s end. This helps you streamline your cash flows and avoid unnecessary back and forth communication.
• Automation tools send clients auto-generated reminders a few days before the invoice due date. This reduces the chances of late payment. 
• Let’s face the fact—machines are less prone to errors. Thus, there is very little chance of getting your invoice email returned or disputed by the client. The system will automatically track all the necessary documents to clear your invoice on time. 

Conclusion

Late payments affect your business operations and have even led many businesses to shut down. By following receivables management best practices, you can ensure that your business doesn’t face cash crunches.

Sending the correct invoice email to the client mentioning all the required information can improve the entire process considerably. Automating the AR process can also help you get paid on time.

FAQs

Q. How do you send an invoice via email?

Answer: You just have to attach the invoice document in PDF format along with the email to your client. This helps the prospect get all the necessary information in one place.

Q. How does an email invoice work?

Answer: An invoice email is an email that contains the invoice document as an attachment. Your client will receive the email and can verify all the details at their end. After the documents are verified, your client will release the due payment.

Q. What is a past-due invoice email?

Answer: A past-due invoice email is an email which is sent to the client as a follow-up to the previous invoice email. This email is sent when the invoice is past its due-date.